Efficacy of Laser Activated versus Sonic Activated Irrigation for Debris Removal in Conservatively Instrumented Root Canals.

Introduction: To compare the efficacy of laser activated and sonic activated irrigation on the removal of debris in mesial root canal systems of mandibular molars using micro-computed tomographic analysis.

Methods: Forty-eight mesial roots of extracted mandibular molars with isthmus were selected and randomly allocated into 2 groups: Sonic Group and Laser Group. The root canals were minimally instrumented to a maximum apical file size of 20/06v (DCTaper, SSWhite, NJ). The Sonic Group received irrigant activation using the SmartLite Pro EndoActivator (Dentsply Tulsa, OK) with a 15/02 tip. The Laser Group received irrigant activation using the WaterLase iPlus (Biolase, CA) with a RFT2 tip. The teeth were activated for the same time with the same volume of irrigants. Micro-computed tomographic scans were obtained preinstrumentation, preirrigation, and postirrigation. To quantify debris removal, the air-filled volume was measured preirrigation and postirrigation, and the percentage increase in air-filled volume was calculated. Data were analyzed statistically (independent samples t-test, significance set at 5%).

Results: The Laser Group demonstrated a significantly higher mean percentage increase in air-filled volume (37.4%) compared to the Sonic Group (20.2%). This difference was statistically significant (P < .05).

Conclusions: The Laser Group was significantly more effective in removing debris compared to the Sonic Group in minimally instrumented root canal systems. However, due to the limitations of this study, further research is needed to assess the impact of laser activated irrigation on clinical outcomes.